Sportsline

Shane Baz has performed above expectations. …

Is Paul Skenes healthy? ....

Robert Gasser has a 63% success rate on this line, in an optimal matchup. …

Noah Schultz has stayed under this line in 70% of his starts. …

Are the Angels the right side in their first half finale on Sunday?

I'm not betting against Argentina. ...

Noone is stopping France. ...

The best attack against the best defense ...

Twins starter Taj Bradley is on a roll. ...

Mets rookie Zach Thornton pitched a gem last time out. ...

The Cubs have a Sunday anomaly. ...

FanDuel. I like this spot for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The All-Star has cleared this line in 11/16 starts. The Diamondbacks are tough on paper against righties, but are putting out a lineup that features six players with above average K% against right-handed pitching. This includes five righties, the split Yamamoto dominates, especially at home (32% K%).

I will not sit here and not have a rooting nor betting interest. No way. FIFA has become a joke. So lets put it this way: Lionel Messi will get the Jordan Rules but in a good way.

FanDuel. Reynaldo Lopez is built up to 80 pitches, as the Braves look to continue to stretch him out to fill out their injured rotation. Averaging a punch out every 18 pitches, this is a light line for Lopez, who has always possessed a strikeout-inducing arsenal. The Cardinals are tough, but more gettable for righties.

I like Chicago's chances in the second game of this pre-All-Star Break series. Current Cubs are hitting a collective .320 against Cincinnati starter Nick Lodolo and I expect them to pile on the runs after being shut out on Friday night. Lodolo also has a 5.50 home ERA in 2026. Chicago has won each of the last five games Javier Assad has appeared in and has given him plenty of run support in the process. Expect a repeat of that formula on Saturday evening.

What a wacky week. I should be way up but a bunch of three-run bullpen implosions. Not four runs, not two. Three. Really never seen anything like that. I feel like Jack Tripper's pushy neighbor: Larry Dallas or Mr. Roper, pick your poison, who just won't leave me alone. Well Janet ... Kyle Bradish better at home and Royals starter Noah Cameron worse away. #regalebeagle

DraftKings. Peter Lambert has been a bright spot for the Astros in the rotation. He’s stayed under this line in 11/14 starts, only allowing 60 hits in 80 innings. His xBA of .209 is elite (85th percentile) - he’s a fly ball enduring pitcher who avoids line drives and barrels. That’ll play well at Globe Life Field - a pitcher’s park. Plus, the Rangers are hitting .208 the last two weeks versus righties, and .230 against righties at home this season.

Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals has cashed in every Norway match this tournament, and it’s easy to see why. Norway fully embraces an attacking style behind Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, giving them one of Europe’s most dangerous offenses. England can match that firepower with Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and a loaded attack of their own. The concern is at the other end of the pitch. England have conceded three goals across their last two matches and were fortunate not to allow more. I don’t fully trust either defense, but I have complete confidence in both attacks creating chances. With this much quality going forward, the over is my favorite play.

Both teams will be full of confidence heading into Saturday's clash after stunning results in the Round of 16. England is coming off a classic 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca, while Norway pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset against Brazil. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in all five of Norway's matches at the World Cup, and the Three Lions have scored two or more goals in four of their five fixtures in this competition. I expect we'll see another entertaining affair with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland on the pitch, so I'm backing the Over in this one.

I consider this the moneyline through extra time but not to qualify -- I'm noticing at books that you have to pay a fair amount more to have that shot in PKs. I doubt this goes to PKs. Like many Americans, I have become a huge fan of Erling Haaland and Norway in particular. Obviously I knew Haaland but never watched him this frequently. Amazing player. And that Viking Row thing. Wonderful. So while Haaland may steal this himself, England is the better overall club. The Three Lions are unbeaten in all 13 competitive matches under Thomas Tuchel (12W, 1D) and had the audacity to win at Estadio Azteca last time out. Playing in Miami will feel like Boise compared.

DraftKings. Freddy Peralta is under this outs line in 13/19 starts this season, including each of his last five. Never an efficient pitcher, at 4.05 pitches per plate appearance, Peralta is in the bottom 11th percentile amongst qualifiers. The issue this year is that he’s pitching to a 4.68 ERA. Even with the Red Sox scuffling a bit at the plate, this is a line that Peralta needs too many things to go right for him to go over.

The first seven games on the season between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies featured double digit runs scored. That ended in yesterday’s 4 to 3 win for the Rockies. Ezekiel Tovar had a key double in the fifth inning marking just his third game with a hit this month. One of the other two games was a three hit game against the Giants on July 3rd. Three of his eight home runs on the season have come against San Francisco. Play Tovar’s combination line/total bases over.

Another fade on Joe Ryan here today he could be limited in some capacity heading into the All Star Break. The 7.5 strikeout line was high to begin with, and he has good enough stuff to hit eight strikeouts in limited work but a fade here is not something to shy away from after his previous start and heavy workload this season.

There are some rumblings about Joe Ryan potentially being on a pitch count here today and looking ahead to pitch in the All Star Game next week. He generally is a full six inning guy with ease but at this price for him to potentially just go five innings is too good to pass up. He still would need to pitch well to complete the full six and he's coming off 106 pitches and seven innings last time out. Going to fade the outs and strikeouts here for Ryan and betting on a shorter outing as he heads into the break.

I think if any of you know me that there are better ways to deal with this, but yeah I'll eat this number for these purposes. I do want that hook, although don't get me started on Friday's utter crushing bullpen nonsense. Jackson Chourio is not in the Milwaukee lineup -- which in theory makes this even more likely to be a one-run game. And Braxton Ashcroft (9-3, 3.24 ERA) has been the ace of the Bucs lately, not Mr. Livvy Dunne. I'm getting a little perturbed with MLB honestly. Guess 3-run leads in the ninth don't matter this week. So we shall see how this goes if I play another today.

I like this matchup for Robbie Ray who will face a Rockies lineup that possesses the highest K Rate against opposing southpaws on the season. Ray has pitched much better as of late, in addition to pitching well at home in San Francisco. I like his chances to have another strong outing and rack up at least 6 Ks tonight.